Bridge



July 27 1926.-

1,593,681 J. B. sTRAUss BRIDGE Filed March 1, 192% s sheets-sheet 1,.

l l Willi* July 27 1926.

J. B. STRAUSS BRIDGE Filed March 1,-1926 3 Sheeoxs--Sheet- 2 Inu@ 752157 Il G Patented July 27, 1926.

JOSEPH STRAUSS, OF CHCAGO, ILLNGS.

BRIDGE.

Application filed March l, 1926. Serial No. 93441.

rlhis invention relates to movable bridges and has for its object to provide a new and improved device of this description.

rlhe invention has as a further object to provide an artistic movable bridge.

The invention has as a further object to provide a movable bridge having an operators house which is normally concealed or out of the way so as not to interfere with the artistic effect of the bridge and which can be moved to an operative position where the operator will have a proper view of the bridge while it is being opened and closed.

The invention has other objects which are more particularly pointed out in the accompanying` description.

Referring now to the drawings:

Fig'. l is a view in part section of one form of bridge embodying the invention with the cperators house in its concealed position.

Fig'. 2 is a View similar to Fig. l. with parts broken away showing the operatorys house in its raised or operative position, and the bridge span also raised.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view talren on line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Fig. Il is a sectional view taken on line fir-et of Fig. l.

Lilie numerals refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

Referring now to the drawings, l 'have shown one form of movable bridge, namely a bascule bridge having` a movable leaf l mounted upon trunnions 2. The leaf is shown as provided with an ornamental railing 3 which may be of any suitable form. .any other desired ornamentation or artistic effect may be added to the bridge. rThe movable leaf l is provided with a counterweig'ht Zl connected to the tail end thereof. ln the construction shown this counterweight is pivotally connected by the pivot .',3 with the tail end of the leaf. The trunnions 2 are carried by the supports 6. rllhe movable leaf is provided with suitable mechanism for raising and lowering it.

The operators house 7 is provided for the operator who operates the controlling machinery. `When the leaf is being` raised or lowered it is necessary for the operator to be in a position where he can see the end of the movable leaf and also have a View of the water on opposite sides thereof so that he can know when to open the leaf and when to close it, and so that he can operate this are cylinders rand in order to prevent this l have provided an operators house arranged so that it can be raised when 1t is desired to operate the bridge 1n order to give the operator the proper view, and lowered when the bridge is closed so as not to interfere with. the artistic effect.

in the drawings have illustrated one form of apparatus for this purpose. ln this construction there is a pit 8 at one side of the movable leaf. This pit contains mechanism for raising` and lowering the operators house 'l'. ln the construction shown the operators house is provided with racks 9 and l0. The rack 9 is engaged by gear 'l1 connected with a shaft l2 and the rack l0 is engaged. by a gear 13 connected with a shaft lil- The gear l2 also engages a rack l5 on a counterweight 20 wiich is free to niove in a guiding' device 2l. The gear 18 engages a raclr 22 on a counterweight 23 which is free to move in a guiding device Villien the gears 12 and 13 are rotated in one direction the operators house 7 is moved up to the position illustrated Fig. 2 ant when these gears are moved in the opposite direction the operators house is moved down into the pit 8 as illustrated in Fig. l. During this movement the operators house is counterbalanced by the counterweights 2O and 23. The racks E) and 10 are preferably located near the middle of the operators house and project downwardly and are connected together at the bottom by the connecting` piece 25. There are also braces 26 extending; from the bottom of the racks upwardly and connecting with the operators house.

Some means is provided for Lgraduaily stoppingv the operators house when it is lowered. ln the construction shown there 27 and 28 preferably containing,` sonic resisting liquid and provided with pistons which are connected to rods 27a and 28a. These rods engage a fixed part when the operators house nears the limit of its down. 'ard movement and cause the pistons to move in the cylinders, the 'Huid therein resisting this movement and gradually stopping the operators house without a jarring c'liect.

Some suitable source of power is pro vided tor operating the raising` and lowering mechanism for the operators house. l have shown a device for this purpose consisting' of an electric motor 'Z9 vwhich is Aconnected through the speed rreducer to the shaft 8l. rllhis shaft, by means of bevel gears 32 and 33, drives the shaft 34. Theshaft 34 is connected by bevel .gears ,35 and 3G with the shaft 1Q of the gear ll and by. Ithe bevel gears ffii' and 38 with lthe shaft lat ofthe gear -l-j. 'lhe shaft 1Q is mounted in suitable bearings on supports 89 and 40, and vthe shaft lll is n'iouiited in `suitable ybearings .on supports fl() anda-l.. rlhe shaft B is mounted in suitable bearings onthe support a0.

rlfhe bridge is opened and closed by means of a motor, not shown, which drives the pinion 4S on -the shaft i7. This pinion enk .Qjages the rack i9 on the movable leaf l.

The. motor is controlled from the operatorls house through the agency of the electrical cable which leads to the operators house and which has the loop 5l to permit the raising' and lowering of the operators house.

The operators house is provided with a switch board 52 (see Fig. al) for the controlling` mechanism for the motor. rlhe motor 29 for the operators house is also controlled from this switch board by means of the conductor 'which branches ofil from the cable 5G.

The operators house is provided-with a door 7 and when vthe house is in the pit, access thereto is provided lby means of the ladf der 54C.

lt will be seen that by means of this de vice the operators house may be easily and quickly raised so that the operator will have a clear viewfwhen it is desired to operate the bridge, and that it can be easily and quiclily lowered so as to be out ofthe way when the bridge is not being` operated.

l claim l. A bridgecomprising a movable leaf, electrically controlled operatingv mechanism for opening;v said leaf, an operators house containing the control apparatus for said opers-ting` mechanism, and means for raising said operators house when it is desired to open said leaf so that the `operator has a full view of said leaf, and for lowering said house when the bridge is closed so that the house will be out of sight.

2. ifi. bridge comprising a movable leaf. operating mechanism therefor, an operators house out of alignment with said leaf, a pit into which said operators house -is adapted to be received, and rmeans for raising said operators vhouse `out of Vsaid pit so that it projects above the roadway when it is desired to open said leaf.

i bridge comprising` ya movable leaf, operating mechanism therefor, anoperatos house out vot alignment with said leaf, a pit into which said operatoris house is adapted to be received, racks connected with said opA erators house, pinions connected with said raclrs, and means for drivingsaid pinions so as to yraise saidhouse to a position where the operator has a view of said leaf.

A bridge compri-sing a mov-able leaf, electrically loperated mechanism for openingv said leaf, an operators house,containing` the control apparatus for said operating` mechanism, means for raising said operators house when it is desired to open said leaf so that the operator has a full view thereof, and for lowering said house when the bridge is closed so that the house will be out of sight, and flexible connections between said operatingmechanism and said operators house.

Signed at Chicago county of Cook and State of Illinois, -this 23rd day of February, 1926.

JOSEPH VB.` STRAUS. 

